The double World Cup-winning England group, according to seasoned spinner Adil Rashid, is “the best England squad that has ever been.” The 35-year-old played an important role in the team that was put together after England was humiliated in the 2015 World Cup in Australia. Since then, England has participated in five ICC (International Cricket Council) tournaments, winning the 2019 Cricket World Cup and the 2022 T20 World Cup along the way.
Due to a back issue, Adil Rashid hasn’t played since appearing in two IPL games for Sunrisers Hyderabad in April. He stated that he was getting close to being fully healthy again while speaking at a gathering in Tottenham before the 2023 Hundred, and said every member of the team will be keen to play in the upcoming World Cup. He also noted that trying to play at their best as a group while in India will be a challenging endeavor.
“I had a little bit of an injury when I returned from the IPL, so I took that month off during the T20 Blast to get healthy, and hopefully I’m fine to go again. Not just me, either. Everyone heading there, the entire squad, will no doubt be eager and prepared to go. We will undoubtedly go there with that attitude as the reigning champs. The challenge will not be simple, especially in India, where they are very strong, in their own backyard,” the England spinner was quoted as saying by CRICKETMOOD.
It’s something we know we can accomplish if we set our minds to it, and it’s something we’ll surely be looking forward to, he added. “We’ll definitely have to be our best as a unit, as a squad,” he said.
That’s the mindset—defending the World Cup crown and taking it home once more. Adil Rashid
Adil Rashid added that he and his group have big hopes for the future and believe they can capture a lot more championships. The 35-year-old continued by saying that when England competes in this year’s World Cup, they will attempt to defend their title and win it once more.
“As a young child, you dream of competing in and winning World Cups for your nation. That has also become a reality for many of us, so I’m sure we’ll all hold it dear to our hearts. Additionally, we are aware that there will be more. Additionally, we think that this is not the end of it. Our mentality is one of “yes, let’s go beyond.” Yes, we have contributed to history in some ways, but we aim to go even further. The mindset is to defend it and win it once more, Adil Rashid continued.
He added that the legacy of England had already been created and that the team’s intelligence would not be determined by whether they were successful or unsuccessful in India. He believes the two-time World Cup champions are the best group since 2015.
“Holding both of my World Cup victories, back to back. I don’t think any England team has ever been better in terms of winning series or rising from No. 7 or 8 in the world to No. 1 in terms of World Cup squads, from 2015 to the present. So as a team, from 2015 to the present, that age, I believe we have the best England squad that has ever existed, he added.